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The other very special aspect of Topi House is... - Review of Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

The Masai Mara is always a wonderful experience, and I must have spent at least two years of my life there. However, Topi House offers something completely unique; a private home right in the middle of the best part of the Mara. At Topi House, you and your friends/ family can enjoy the privacy of your own home, completely controlling your own schedule and having everything provided. The meals are beyond excellent, with drinks not an extra, served when you request. The setting is spectacular, with the house on a ridge over looking the plains north of Rhino Ridge and wildlife always visible from the acacia treed 'garden'. It's not uncommon for lions and elephant to stroll by and all sorts feeds on the lawn at night! The other very special aspect of Topi House is the guiding. Topi House provides one or two ( depending on the size of your group) first class landcruisers with I believe the top guides in the Mara. The guide team is built from the Masai team that originally formed the famous Rekero camp and they have years and years of experience. I've made many wildlife films in the Mara and know top guides because they can not only find animals but predict what is going to happen next. The Topi House guides are true masters at this! And they are all great fun! Topi House is an incredible experience, and I've been there four times. It is impossible for you to be disappointed there!

Stayed December 2013, traveled with family

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Ask Keith S about Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

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Mara Bush houses is in avaley with a drinking place in front of the houses. The woodwork in both houses is as fantastic, Olive wood used as framework for the wall, stairs and showers. A place wher one can sit in one spot an see Impala , Warthog, sebra , Wildebeest ,Dik-dik drinking water during the day. At night with a light it is possible to see many more noctunal animals drinking water. During our stay of three nights in both houses we were treated like royalty by our hosts. The food was outstanding, the game drives to the point when you ask DFixon to see leopard he showed it to you, Cheeta as a bonus . The next day is was lion , Girafe , a Serval as a desert with the Cheeta males as the topping. Al of this was in the Mara North conservancy. On our way there we passed through a subtropical valley with breathtaking views of the Cliffs where eagles soar above their nests. Breathtaking sundowner at the highest spot in the Mara. My opinion is : A place to visit when you go to Kenya.

What can one say! We stayed at both Mara and Acacia houses for 3 nights and had a great time at both. Perfect for family stays.They are private and you have lots of space, large bathrooms and well designed open plan living areas as well as a large green lawns where children can run and play. The swimming pool is great for parents and children alike and is solar heated. Meal times was bliss and well presented great tasting food was served outside on the large veranda, inside or at the pool! Food is of amazing quality and top class with friendly staff attending ones every need.

The wildlife experience and scenery is world class!! We saw mating leopards, a pride of 12 lions and cheetah during our stay, not too mention all the other species there in abundance. The viewing is easy on the wide open plains. Elephants in huge numbers, herds of between 30-50 strong! Guides and vehicles are great and they pack really good picnic meals to have during a game drive. Traveling in January is one of the best times to be in the Mara, as the rains are coming to an end, and you have this magical place almost all to yourself as the holiday and migration crowds are not there anymore. The view from the highest point in the Mara during sunset is stunning.

I am a wildlife photographer, and this place will keep you busy and keep the shutter going as there are excellent opportunities for great quality shots around every corner, be it a leopard, lions elephant, giraffes or the landscape beauty, its all on your doorstep! They have a natural spring feeding a waterhole in front of both houses, and there are wildlife and birdlife visiting throughout the day, you can view and photograph wildlife from your veranda!

For sure THE place to stay for families, groups or couples that need privacy, great service, great accommodation and location, fantastic food, and top class wildlife viewing with great guiding! Excellent stay and highly recommended! Thank you to everyone for the attention and care, it was awesome. We will be back! More images to follow later.

We have just returned from spending three nights at Mara House. The house itself is beautiful, made from the olive trees that surround the property, and overlooks a watering hole that attracts a varying stream of wildlife every day However, it is the quality of the team, led by the wonderful Salaash, that really made this trip special. Great game drives, delicious food (I loved the safari chutney), hands on activities with the children (lighting dry zebra dung to start a camp fire was a first), sundowners watching elephants under the huge African skies and hot water bottles in our beds every night. Looking forward to returning.

Stayed December 2013, traveled with family

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Ask Richard T about Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

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Mara Bush House was a wonderful retreat over christmas. Not only did we have some unforgettable wildlife viewing thanks to our keen and knowledgeable guide Salaash but our every need was catered for thanks to Wilson, Sesinie and Eve's incredible hospitality. The team went out of their way to make our christmas extra special and for that we are all very grateful.

Stayed December 2013, traveled with family

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Ask tabby s about Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

There must be many great places on the Mara, but I can't see how any can be better than Topi House.

We stayed with our two daughters aged 14 and 10. Topi House sleeps 6 and would be suitable for any group up to 6 people. It is set in a beautiful Acacia woodland near the top of a rise and is well away from other Mara properties. It is on the edge of the Olare Orok Conservancy. There are views of the Mara through the woodland.

Fred is an amazing guide. We saw all the animals that we wanted because Fred knew where to look. There are too many animal experiences to even begin to list what we saw during October. The best bit was that there were no crowds anywhere. In fact we hardly saw a soul when we were out and about.

We were superbly looked after at Topi House by Nabaala, Leonard and James. Their service was great and the food was always excellent. Breakfast was generally spent with Fred on the Mara. Lunch and dinner were served at Topi House.

The rooms were excellent ... the beds were very comfortable and the rooms had plenty of space and storage. The en-suite Bathrooms were very good too.

Every detail was thought about, from cool, eucalyptus infused face washers that were given to us at the end of the daytime safaris to the warm ones that were presented when we returned in the evening. They put hot water bottles in our beds each evening.

We flew into Ol Kiombo Airstrip and had 40 minute scenic safari to Topi House.

There was no swimming pool, no mobile reception and no Wi-Fi ... it was a perfect opportunity to get away and focus on the stunning beauty of the Mara.

We think it was well worth the investment required.

Room Tip: They are all great.

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Stayed October 2013, traveled with family

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Ask mrthom1316 about Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

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Topi House was our first stop on our safari and was the perfect introduction to the bush. The house is lovely and in a perfect setting. Sitting on the verandah in the afternoon, we watched the giraffes poking above the trees, the baboons moving through the grass, wildebeest, zebras and gazelles grazing and topi everywhere. Our bedroom was very comfortable and well equipped. We never ran out of hot water or lacked anything. Leonard's meals were delicious. The table was always beautifully set, even the picnic breakfasts were over the top. And where else will Nabalaa and his buddies dance and sing for you!!! It was wonderful! And we can't say enough about Salaash, our fabulous guide. Each day was an adventure that we thought could not be topped, but then there was the next day. We saw incredible game and he made sure that we had the opportunity to just sit and watch, mesmerized by the experience. At lunch and after dinner each day, Salaash sat with us and guided us in planning our next drive. His knowledge of the animals and their habits was so impressive. Breakfast with the Hippos, finding the leopard, laughing over the lion who had gorged himself to obvious discomfort, waking to tea and cookies, the hotwater bottle that kept my feet warm, sitting and talking around the fire in a Maasi home, seeing and being close to more animals than we ever dreamed - so many special memories. And the warmth and hospitality of everyone made our stay perfect!

Stayed September 2013, traveled as a couple

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Ask Gina04301 about Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa

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Imagine your own house in the bush, right in the very heart of one of Africa’s most famous and game rich areas. A bush house, ideal for a couple, family or group, where the wildlife comes right to your front door and you decide how you would like to pass your day. The private Mara Bush Houses, formerly known as the Nomadic Encounters Bush Homes, are located in the very best locations of the Masai Mara ecosystem and benefit from three generations of experience in this area....more less

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Mara Bush Houses, Asilia Africa Kenya/Maasai Mara National Reserve

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